Page 48

My mouth dries as I drink her in.

I can almost see it—how easy it would be for me to gently touch her jaw and turn her face toward me. I can almost taste her lips if I were to capture them with my own.

Would she reach for me, too?

Does she feel this, too?

This connection that goes well beyond a base attraction?

Clearing my throat, I force my attention away, then offer her the other bag. “This is for you.”

“Really?” Her eyes light up as she takes the bag, then reaches inside and withdraws the coffee mug. “Oh, Ryker.” She runs her fingertips over the porcelain as though it were a cherished gem. “You saw me looking at this yesterday, didn’t you?”

“I did. Anastasia set it aside for me. I was going to give it to you as a gift once we figured everything out, but now seemed like a good time.” It was going to be something you could remember me by.

“Ryker, I love it. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.” I clear my throat. “I’m curious, though. Why this one?”

She smiles as she looks down at the coffee mug. “My grandpa and I loved bees. It was one of the things we shared. He always said that they were the life force of nature. That he believed God created them to keep the natural food system in place. He was also incredibly allergic to them.” She laughs. “Didn’t stop him from loving them.”

“You seem like you had a lot in common with your grandfather.”

“I did.” Her smile fades slightly, but she cradles the coffee mug against her chest. “When my dad left, my mom fell apart. She just gave up. My grandmother was always tending to her, trying to make sure she ate and everything. For quite a while, he was the only one who actually paid any attention to me.”

I try to imagine what that must have felt like, being left alone during such an unsteady time in your young life. Unfortunately, it’s not hard. While my mom didn’t completely fall apart when my dad bailed, she grew cold.

Said that my brother and I reminded her too much of our dad.

“He made me feel special. Took me fishing and taught me how to ride a bike. While my grandmother was trying to put life back into my mom, my grandfather was giving me a life.” She sniffles and reaches up to wipe a tear from beneath her glasses.

My gaze drops to her hand as she rests it on the blanket beside her. It would be so easy for me to reach over and cover it with my own. My hand flexes beside me, the desire so strong I can barely contain it.

But she’s a client.

I’ve only known her a handful of days.

Taking this any further than a professional relationship would be a mistake.

Except, why doesn’t this feel professional?

“Anyway. Losing him was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through. And I think this whole thing is hitting me harder because I wish he was here to remind me that I can do anything.”

I turn back out toward the water. “Well, I’m not your grandfather, and I haven’t known you long, but I believe you can do anything.”

She turns to me and smiles. “You are far too kind to me.”

“It’s easy because you radiate kindness yourself.”

Her cheeks flood with color. “Why, Mr. Granger, is that a compliment?”

“It was an observation,” I reply, then stand and reach back down for her.

“Where are we going now?”

“We are going to go into the water.”

“It’s freezing.”